Refusing to let it go.
Her fingers were still woven with mine, and I brought the back of her hand to my mouth, as if I could seal my declaration with a kiss.
A promise.
She put her weight on her knees on either side of me. She rose up.
Hovering.
Her hands found their way into my hair. Gently she sifted her fingers through it.
It felt so damned good I wanted to moan.
I rolled my head back, getting lost in that face, my hands roaming up and down her sides. “You changed me, Shea.”
Soft, sad laughter tumbled from her, and cautiously she peeked at me. “You changed everything about me, Baz. You changed everything I wanted because what I ended up wanting was you. You and Kallie. That’s all I need.”
I sat up higher and took her mouth. My hands bunched in her hair. Forcing her closer. She opened to me as if she’d just found her lost supply of oxygen and was taking in a saving breath.
That’s what I wanted.
To be her breath.
She pressed up higher, rocking over me as her hold tightened in my hair. She muttered between kisses, “Don’t leave me, Sebastian. Don’t leave me.”
Words poured out against my lips, each one uttered between scrapes of her teeth as her kisses became more and more frantic.
“I just got you back and I won’t survive losing you again. Promise you’ll fight him with me…because you love me and this is where you always want to be.”
My fingers dug into her thighs. Squeezing. The promise came on a breath. “Yes.”
Palming her ass, I couldn’t do anything but rock her against my cock that was straining inside my jeans.
I shouldn’t have been hard. Our baby girl was gone.
But curls of lust twisted in my stomach and greed took over my kiss.
When she whimpered into my mouth, I took it upon myself to devour her sweet little tongue.
Because, yes, I needed this.
Yes, Shea needed this.
Maybe it was indecent.
But neither of us could stop.
We were drowning in desperation.
Dying in need.
Dying to love.
Seeking reprieve from all the misery and pain.
I was desperate to show her I’d never leave her. Not ever again.
Shea was still wearing those satin pajamas, and I couldn’t get through the buttons of the long-sleeved blouse fast enough. I pushed the fabric off her slender shoulders, letting my hands explore the expanse of soft skin as I dragged it down her back.
Hair tangled and wild, wild, wild. Her expression was just as desperate as the heat of her hands that yanked at my shirt and tore it over my head.
Hot palms pressed to my bare chest.
“You’re beautiful, Sebastian.” She felt along my shoulders. “My beautiful, beautiful man.”
“Baby,” I whispered, kissing her more. My teeth tugged at her bottom lip, then I set it free with a little pop, before I kissed her hard at the corner of her mouth. I didn’t slow down, just dove down to her chin, forcing it up as I went to work on the delicate slope of her neck.
Her fingers dug into my shoulders as she leaned back, keeping herself from falling as I kissed a path down her chest that heaved with every erratic beat of her heart.
Those perfect tits begged, nipples pink and pebbled tight.
I flattened my tongue across one.
So fucking sweet.
I drew it into my mouth.
“Sebastian.”
I cupped the back of her neck, forcing her to look down at me.
“Sweet girl, I’m gonna take care of you.”
In every way.
“Stand up,” I commanded. She kept her hands braced on my shoulders as she slowly pushed to her feet. She was bent at the waist, her face hovering a foot above mine.
The tether that tied us together stretched taut.
Slowly, I dragged her pajama shorts and the lace hidden underneath down those long, long legs.
“Shit,” I hissed, watching the action as I revealed every delicious inch of this girl.
She was a vision.
Salvation.
A deliverance from my own personal hell.